NSF, Navy data added to Google Earth

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and the National Science Foundation have entered agreements with Google to provide data for the popular program. According to NSF, a feature called "Oceans in Google Earth" enables users to dive beneath the surface of the sea and explore oceans. It includes videos, photos, diagrams and texts that illustrate glacial, geological and ocean processes influencing the behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Antarctica. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command entered a cooperative research agreement to share with Google Earth unclassified information about oceans. The CRADA allows Google to use unclassified bathymetric data sets and sea surface temperatures from the Naval Oceanographic Office as well as meteorological data from Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, both subordinate commands of NMOC. (Sources: NSF, NNS, 02/02/09)